Cardiovascular Center: Interventional Cardiology Program

Blockages in the main arteries of the heart, a disease status called coronary artery disease, remains the leading cause of death in the United States. Certain areas of the heart may receive less blood flow because of these blockages, causing the heart to receive less oxygen, which can lead to different symptoms.

Symptoms associated with coronary artery disease include:

• Chest pain or discomfort
• Jaw pain
• Pain in the upper extremities
• Shortness of breath

However, the symptoms of coronary artery disease may vary and not always be so typical, particularly among female, elderly and diabetic patients. Sometimes, these symptoms may occur only with exertion and may get worse over time, while in some patients these occur suddenly, which may indicate they are having a heart attack.

Over the past few decades, less invasive techniques have become available to diagnose and treat coronary artery disease, and have proven to be successful in relieving patients' symptoms. In patients presenting with heart attacks, these techniques have also shown to be life-saving.

The Interventional Cardiology Program at the UF Health Cardiovascular Center in Jacksonville has invested in the most advanced equipment to assist our team in making a diagnosis and determining the best possible treatment plan as quickly as possible. Our highly trained physicians, nursing and technical team provide compassionate cardiac care in a state-of-the-art environment.

Diagnostic Procedures

• Diagnostic Angiography
  Diagnostic angiography helps measure the severity of blockage in the main arteries of the heart, called coronary arteries. Before the procedure, patients will be given a mild sedative and a local anesthetic. The procedure is most often performed using specifically designed catheters, which are most often inserted through a tiny needle puncture in the wrist. Sometimes, the procedure may need to be performed though a tiny incision made in the groin. The catheters are carefully threaded to the heart, guided by an X-ray machine. Once the catheter is in place, contrast material is injected and pictures are taken, allowing doctors to see if the coronary arteries have any blockages. Based on the severity of these blockages, and where they are located in the arteries of the heart, a decision is made on the best treatment strategy.
• Cardiac Catheterization
  Cardiac catheterization is generally performed in conjunction with diagnostic angiography. This test measures the blood pressure within the heart and how much oxygen is in the blood. It is also used to acquire information about the pumping ability of the heart muscle. Using specifically designed catheters, contrast material is injected and pictures are taken, allowing physicians to see images of the inside of the heart.
• Other diagnostic procedures
  Other diagnostic procedures may be necessary in conjunction with diagnostic angiography to help further determine the severity and importance of the blockages in the arteries of the heart. These diagnostic procedures include advanced imaging modalities such as coronary intravascular ultrasound, or IVUS, and optical coherence tomography, or OCT, as well physiologic assessments such as fractional flow reserved, or FFR.

Treatment Options

UF Health interventional cardiologists offer patients a number of treatment options for coronary artery blockages. These procedures are generally performed after the diagnostic procedures have been completed and the best treatment plan has been selected to treat the blockages in the arteries of the heart. Often these blockages can be treated with less invasive techniques, such as stents. However, based on the severity and location of the blockages, patients may require coronary artery bypass surgery.

• Percutaneous Transluminal Coronary Angioplasty
  Percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty involves using a special balloon inserted through a catheter to open a blockage in the heart artery. When the balloon is inflated, it compresses the blockage and enlarges the artery. Once this is completed, the balloon is deflated and removed. In most cases, this procedure is immediately followed by implanting a stent to prevent the segment of the artery that has just been treated from developing another blockage.
• Coronary Artery Stent
  Coronary artery stents are advanced through the catheter and deployed at the site of the blockage in the heart artery. The stent is a metallic scaffold that is mounted on a balloon and inflated, expanding the stent. The balloon is then removed and the expanded stent remains in the heart artery, keeping it open at the site of the blockage. There are many types of stents available. Our Interventional Cardiology Program has pioneered the field of stent development, with access to all the latest technologies in the field, including new generation drug-eluting stents.
• Other interventional techniques
  Other treatment modalities are available to assist with opening the arteries of the heart. Among these are procedures such as atherectomy for patients who have very calcified blockages which are more challenging to open with balloons. The use of laser ablation is also used in some patients who have excessive tissue growth inside the stent. We also have access to technologies that may be useful for removing blood clots from arteries in patients who are having a heart attack.

Other Conditions Treated

Our Interventional Cardiology Program offers treatment options for disease conditions other than coronary artery disease, including valvular heart disease and other structural heart disease conditions, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, and peripheral vascular disease.

Interventional Cardiology Program Locations

1. 

   UF Health Cardiology – Deerwood Park

   CenterOne Building, Suite 201
   10475 Centurion Parkway North
   Jacksonville, FL 32256
   
   Phone:

   (904) 383-1011 Request An Appointment map
2. 

   UF Health Cardiology – St. Marys

   201 Lake Shore Point
   St. Marys, GA 31558
   
   Phone:

   (912) 729-6821 Request An Appointment map
3. 

   UF Health Cardiovascular Center – Jacksonville

   Ambulatory Care Center, 5th Floor
   655 West 8th Street
   Jacksonville, FL 32209
   
   Phone:

   (904) 383-1011 Request An Appointment map
4. 

   UF Health Cardiovascular Center – North

   Suite 3600
   15255 Max Leggett Parkway
   Jacksonville, FL 32218
   
   Phone:

   (904) 383-1011 Request An Appointment map